Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-04
SHE LEFT HIM
an UNEXPECTED TURN IN LOVE, AND
SHORT SANS BARGAIN.
He was Called That Because Re was Tall
A Western EditoTialEx-
perienco.

more go.
Once, while occupying all the edito-
rial chairs and reporters desks on q
weekly paper Published in a clipper
little camp in Nevada, two days by
mud-wacOn from the nearest railroad
or telegraph station, / would gladly
have exchanged places even With a New
York city editor explaining to his chief
how It WIS the hated rival get in that
terrific scoop.
IL was more than exciting. There
Lad been grand ball At Blue Peaks. q
uciphhoring camp. and the grandeur
Of the ball had been enhanced by tho
sensational elopemcnt of the most
noted gambler Of the camp gentle
man well known in Nevada as Short
Sam. with q lady called Dusty Bob.
At the time Of the ball she was not
known rs such-at least in Blue Peaks.
She came there few days before with
staid, middlc-aged man, Mr. Bleek-
cr. who proposed building = quartz
mil. ne sand, and both lie and his
daughter-showasi introduced as such
were shown marked social attention.
Papa wssa little doubtful about allow
ING is daughter 70 attend the ball.
Not that the occasion-it was the open
inc of the III Dorado saloon, aud the
fara-tahlCs were removed TO make room
for the dancing was anything less
than the most critical could demand,
but emigration into the camp had as
vet brought females Of Al unattended
class only.
The difficulty was solved by Short
Samiu his usual generous manner. He
proposed to h. Miss Bleekcr's sole es.
cort during The evening of the ball,
"an3. added sam, % reckon if Miss
Blocker plays pardners with me agin
the game no gentleman III the camp
Will allow lac can bring any base bull
lion lady near enough to hurt.
There was no doubt about this. Sam
was not only the richest gambler in
Blue Peaks, but ne also enjoyed the
unique reputation of being the only
faro-dcalcr in Nevada who never had
lookout nj his table. He was too quick
and sure with his pistol to require a
lOOkout's assistance in depressing the
acqustiye proclivities OF check gorillas,
fact TO which the new graveyard at
Blue Peaks bore eloquent, If silent, tes-
timony.
So the grand bah at the III Dorado
was graced 10y the modest Miss Blocker,
and the candles, in their dirk-like
miners candlcsticks harpooned in the
jois's. sione not SO brightly as her In
recent blue eyes.
Sam. in n boiled SHIRT uncovered by
vc,t or coat was tendcrly attentive. 1t
was plain 10 every miner and the unat-
tach,d females present that sam was
hard Int. Papa Blocker lowered abOu5
Tho bar. atop Of which sat the fiddler,
and made frequent demands on his
dauchteI's gallant escort to "join him
once more. ltwssncar midnight when
Sam. long since ahame with the sweet
poison Of Cupid's dart aud The III Do
RADIOS two-hlt O. +. s, disappeared
with Miss Blocker.
That they had not gone to supper,
served in the miners boarding house,
adjoining the I1l Dorado, was first made
known by miner wlD arrived at the
hall fashionahlv In He had quit
work when the II o'clock SHIFT went on,
and on his Way H. tie ball had seen
"Sam and the new gal driving down
Tie Grade TO NuGgetyille in the stage
company's sleigh Sam a driving to
beat -. reckon they're sloped to
git hitched."
II was the following day heard the
sequel to the story while pursuing the
rcportorisl eide Of my duties for tue
Nueoettylllc hssayCr.
Sam sud Mas BECKER had arrived in
camp an hour before daylight, and ont
of consideration for the age OF the JUS
tee Of the pence, had not then called
on his services 10 make their lives one.
Int had gone to the hotel together ID
await more sS-mly wedding hour.
That L.d been after late breakfast,
snd it WIS after their return to Blue
Peaks that gathered these facts aud
prepared them in stylo calculated t.
create sensation smOng the readers OF
the AsSoysr.
IL did.
Aiv best efforts since have fallen fat
in comparison. Subscribers came to
TIE Office, and stopped me on the street,
and with q singloness OF mind that be-
came annoying asked me II l had ever
met Short sam.
never had; in fact knew nothing
about him until he became the central
figure of my pet sensation.
The smiles with which my assertion
Of ignorance regarding Short Sam wers
erected had, thought, much o. pity IN
them.
One day the patriarch of the camp, a
man who had resided there continuous
iy for more than three years, came INTO
my Office and solemnly asked II ! re-
membored the clump OF willows 10y the
spring at the foot of Gold Canyon.
/ did: 1t was u fayorite walk ofmlne.
"Nos? Wall, thar's whar we buried
The last editor.
His remark was certainly irrelevant
eth il gave ne an unpleasant shock.
thought to recover myself by face
tiousness. and asked with smile, u
painful smile;
"Indecd where did you bury the
one before him !? "
The Patriarch did not smile. hoped
he would. He replied
Lets see. The one afore him
yesI think it wa. the one jesafore him
wasn't killed. He was only shot through
the knee"
gave up trying to look amused. l
was Interested but not amused.
The Patriarch continued Least
ways, we didn't bury the hull of him.
We planted the part of the leg the doc
tor cut of. You see, the boys likes
funeral ouct in awhile. There being
no paron here, q funeral is the only
fines the boys has a chance to feel reli-
pious like. We made that editor what
cot shot in the knee preach a sermon
over the funeral Of his leg. Then he
left town.
The Patriarch rose to leave, but
turned and said, solemnly:
"Ef YOU has any folks who might
want 10 know, why you ken leave their
address with me. The editor afore the
one what got hisknee hurtdi it, Sans
in Carson on his wedding tour, but
he'll be back in few days"
/ had not fully recovered from the
elects OF this interview when | had an
other caller. He was a young, good
leaking chap. and smiled pleasantly as